Eric Hobsbawm’s extraordinary life and legacy celebrated at memorial
Professor Eric Hobsbawm – one of the intellectual giants of the 20th century and the late President of Birkbeck – was remembered at a moving memorial
The remarkable achievements, international following and friendship of Professor Eric Hobsbawm – one of the intellectual giants of the 20th century and the late President of Birkbeck – were remembered at a moving memorial.
Watch the memorial online.
Historians, colleagues, friends and family paid tribute to the influential Marxist historian, and shared their enduring memories of his inspirational teaching, wit, extraordinary abilities and range of interests – from politics to jazz, and languages to nature.
More than 400 guests, including leading figures from academia, left-wing politics and journalism, attended the two-hour celebration of Professor Hobsbawm’s life at Senate House, University of London, on 24 April. The new Hobsbawm Scholarships, designed to inspire the next generation of talented historians, were also launched at the memorial.
The speakers each described various aspects and stages of Professor Hobsbawm’s life, including his undergraduate days at Cambridge, writing for Marxism Today, his love of Brazil and family holidays in Wales, his historical surveys, and his 65-year association with Birkbeck.
Professor Hobsbawm touched the lives of many and as a historian his international impact was unrivalled. He inspired generations of scholars and helped shape and define debates about modern history through his writings and teaching, particularly at Birkbeck. A member of Birkbeck’s History Department since 1947 and President of the College from 2002 until his death aged 95 last year, Professor Hobsbawm passionately believed in Birkbeck’s commitment to offering the highest quality evening education to the working people of London.
Tributes
Professor Roy Foster, Fellow of Birkbeck and Carroll Professor of Irish History at the University of Oxford, spoke about being Professor Hobsbawm’s colleague and friend. He said: “It’s right that Birkbeck should be the focus of this memorial event, but it will also demonstrate, I think, the global reach of Eric’s interests and influence and the vital importance of that personal life – of the affections and friendships and family which so enhanced it. We want to convey something of the extraordinary emotional and magnetic man that Eric was and the way the force field of his mind and personality endures.”
Likewise, writer Claire Tomalin, referred to Professor Hobsbawm’s friendship, as well as his international intellectual reputation. She said: “Eric was, as we know, a great historian, a great man, a dear and true friend, not only to all of us here, but to people all over the world. He was to me an intellectual father figure and to others…Of course he was better read, better informed than any of us and blessed with tireless curiosity about the past and how societies work.”
Describing him as a “great enthusiast”, Julia Hobsbawm spoke of her father’s passion for many different interests, including his love for his family, nature, birds, sweets, gossip and his students.
Professor Simon Schama, Professor of History and Art History at Columbia University, added: “Eric was, of course, the real thing – the complete historian...He was analytical and narrative. And most inspiring to a young historian, he was drawn to write with sympathy and passion about phenomena that could not have been more remote from his own values.”
Hobsbawm Scholarships
Professor Hobsbawm’s profound belief in the importance of higher education for working people will be advanced through the new Hobsbawm Scholarships, which were launched at the memorial by Professor Frank Trentmann, Professor of History at Birkbeck.
The fund to support postgraduate history students at Birkbeck is a fitting legacy to Professor Hobsbawm’s achievements. The fundraising campaign for the scholarships aims to generate many small donations from supporters across the world in keeping with Professor Hobsbawm’s huge international following by people from all backgrounds.
The Hobsbawm Scholarships will encourage the next generation of talented historians by removing financial barriers to study and opening up access to Birkbeck’s world-class postgraduate study and research opportunities. The largest scholarships will be awarded to students most in need of financial support.
Professor Trentmann added: “Eric brought the world to Birkbeck and Birkbeck to the world. Our intellectual debt to Eric is immense. Birkbeck, together with his family, have launched an appeal for Eric Hobsbawm research studentships so that his intellectual curiosity and courage will continue to inspire the next generation of historians as I’m confident they will for many years to come.”
Professor Hobsbawm’s best-known works include the trilogy about the 19th century: The Age of Revolution: Europe 1789-1848; The Age of Capital: 1848-1875; and The Age of Empire: 1875-1914.